2007 SUNY Chancellor's Award

March 16, 2007

SIX SUNY-ONEONTA STUDENTS WIN CHANCELLOR'S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

ONEONTA, N.Y. -- Six seniors from the SUNY College at Oneonta were among a select group of State University of New York students chosen to receive the 2007 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan will present the awards to the students at a reception in their honor at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany on April 18.

The Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence is the highest honor that SUNY bestows upon students. It is presented annually to SUNY students who demonstrate academic excellence and integrate it with other qualities such as leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, entrepreneurship, or career achievement.

The six SUNY-Oneonta students chosen by SUNY to receive the 2007 Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence are as follows:

Stefanie DeMonaco, Biology major from Franklin
Stefanie is a recipient of the "Best and Brightest" and the Susan Sutton Smith awards, and she is President of the Pre-Health Professional Association. She volunteers as a college tutor and works with a local animal hospital. Stefanie completed an animal husbandry internship at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas, and has been accepted into veterinary school.

Jason Gardner, Sociology major from the Bronx
Jason founded the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity on the Oneonta campus. He is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, the Order of Omega, and the Model UN Delegation; treasurer for the College Union Activities Council and the Student Association; Senator in the Student Association and representative to the College Senate; dancer and choreographer with the Terpsichorean Dance Company; and a mentor in the African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American Mentor Program. He has been accepted into law school.

Anna Legname, Psychology major from Oneonta
Anna received the Psychology Department's highest award: "Commitment to Integrity, Excellence, and Scholarship." She was a teaching assistant/mentor and a foreign language tutor. Anna conducted three research projects and presented the results at scientific conferences. She was an officer in Psi Chi, the national honor society in Psychology, and she volunteered at the campus Children's Center.

Kyra McTighe, Psychology major from Schenectady
Kyra is a Dean's List student involved in many leadership positions. She is President of Sigma Sigma Sigma and has helped raise over $34,000 for St. Jude Children's Hospital. After graduation, Kyra is planning to go to graduate school to get her master's degree in school counseling.

Michael Reale, Computer Science major from Prattsville
Michael is the recipient of numerous awards including the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and the Susan Sutton Smith student award. He has been on the Provost's list each semester of his college career. Michael started the Computer Science Club and competed on the Computer Science Team for two years. He plans to attend graduate school to continue his work in Computer Science.

Christopher Rooney, English major from Delmar
Chris has been on the Dean's List and Provost's List and is in the Phi Eta Sigma honor society. He is a Resident Advisor and teaching assistant; a tutor for the Educational Opportunity Program, Job Corps, and Political Science Department; a member of Democracy for America and the English Club; a Student Senator and Associate Judge for the student Supreme Court; and a classical guitarist and playwright. He has accepted a teaching fellowship in New York City.

Since the program was implemented in 1998, forty-six Oneonta students have received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, including thirty-three in the past five years.
A liberal arts college with a pre-professional focus, the SUNY College at Oneonta features outstanding and accessible faculty, students committed to academics and community service, exceptional technology, a modern fieldhouse and athletic facilities, and a beautiful campus. The College enrolls over 5,800 students in its academic programs, several of which are nationally accredited.